» Buses

I saw a bus last week
Not unusual in itself, but for some reason this bus appeared to be changing, growing, in size. Ever the curious chap I stopped to try and work out what was going on... then it hit me.
(Mon 29th Jun 2009, 15:40, More)

» Buses

I'm gonna slip in a sneaky late one
I've plenty tales of bus-woe, but they're all of the interminably boring variety that irk you for about 5 minutes after they happen, so here's one from the fluffy side. There's a fair bit of background so anyone wanting to dive headlong into the bus action should skip to para 4.

I was jammy enough to spend a lovely year in France last year. With it being a lovely sociable affair I met a lot of friends and started seeing a lot of one particular young lady, almost all of her as Blackadder would say. Anyhoo, at the end of the year we decided to stay together.*

She comes from a town in Sweden** (a town so crap it's shittyness is even documented in a film www.imdb.com/title/tt0150662/ ) that takes a plane, bus and train to reach. This story happened coming back to Scotland in January.

I'd caught an early train into Gothenburg Central, the airport bus linking with my flight wouldn't leave for ages, leaving me utterly, utterly bored. So as soon as I saw an airport bus appearing on the departure board I was off like a shot, as quick as you could say a single to the airport please I'd bought my ticket, hopped on and settled into a happy little half-asleep snooze. To say I was rudely awoken is an understatement, it was one of those 'OH SHITTING HELL' sort of moments, when I realised in my blinding stupidity what I'd done. Gothenburg has 2 airports and I'd got on the bus to the wrong one. As cock-ups go, I'd reckon this is up there.

So time to assess options, frantically check the time, yes there's still a while to go, easily enough time to take a taxi, but a taxi I'd probly struggle to afford. Hurtle off the bus, and catch sight of one ready to go back to Gothenburg, look at my watch, maybe, just maybe I'm in luck here. So I get to the driver I manage to stammer out my story, and that's when I realise just how lucky I am. She takes out her schedule, not only does she tell me I'm going to make the flight, but also tells me to put my wallet away for both the ride back to Gothenburg and to the right Airport. So thanks to her kindness not only did I catch the flight, but I didn't even spend an extra penny because of my stupidity.

*For added awww we're still together and she's coming to Glasgow in September, for good.
**To appease the Honda Accord brigade, I should point out that even I can see she doesn't fit the Scandinavian stereotype.
(Tue 30th Jun 2009, 23:28, More)